Though her elder sister who was studying in another city， showed her willingness to take care of her， she was determined to be completely independent. At school， she always studied hard. Most of all she learned to be self-reliant. Once she wrote the following in her composition： “I am lucky. Though I lost my arms， I still have legs； I am lucky. Though my wings are broken， my heart can still fly.”
One day， the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a television interview program. The boy told the TV host about his uncertain future at being left on his own， whereas the girl was full of enthusiasm for her life. They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote： My younger brother‘s arms are my arms；while the girl wrote： Broken wings， flying heart.
They had both endured the same ordeal， but their different attitudes determined the nature of their lives. It is true that life is unpredictable. Disasters can strike at any time. How you handle misfortune when confronted with it， is the true test of your character. If you choose only to complain and escape from the ordeal， it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to be strong， the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.
The Road to Success
It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom， and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and jamtresses now in offices， and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of a business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning， the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young man whether he had even seen a young lady sweep in a room so grandly as her Priscilla. He said so， he never had， and the mother was gratified beyond measure， but then said he， after a pause， “What I should like to see her do is sweep out a room.” It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started， my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who has not already seen himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk， or foreman， or general manager in any concern， no matter how extensive. Say to yourself， “My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.
And here is the prime condition of success， the great secret： concentrate your energy， thought， and capital exclusively upon the business in which your are engaged. Having begun in one line， resolve to fight it out on that line， to lead in it， adopt every improvement， have the best machinery， and know the most about it.
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital， which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this， or that， or the other， here， there， and everywhere. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is all wrong. I tell you “put all your eggs in one basket， and then watch that basket”. Look round you and take notice； men who do that do not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets， that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head， which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.
To summarize what I have said： Aim for the highest， never enter a bar room； do not touch liquor， or if at all only at meals； never speculate； never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund； make the firm’s interest yours； break orders always to save owners； concentrate； put all your eggs in one basket， and watch that basket； expenditure always within revenue； lastly be not impatient， for， as Emerson says， “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”
